developing and maintaining your professional e-portfolio the cain project in engineering and...
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Developing and Maintaining Your Professional E-Portfolio
The Cain Project in Engineering and Professional Communication
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES
Overview
• Definitions and purposes• Portfolio development• Sample portfolios• Avoiding design mistakes
• Resources
Portfolio Definition
Materials (“artifacts”) that showcase your academic and/or professional experience
– Portfolio purpose statement– Evidence of academic expertise and/or
professional experience– Supporting materials from others– Resumé – Contact information
Part of the Big Picture
• Portfolios are part of your personal development process
• Take time to write out your goals• Keep a log or journal faithfully• Set times to reflect on your experiences• Keep in contact with mentors and advisors• YOU ARE IMPORTANT
Defining Your Portfolio’s Purpose
• What argument about your experience should your portfolio make?
• Who will read your portfolio?
• What evidence will be most convincing to this audience?
Portfolio Purpose Statement
• Introduce yourself– Name – Position(s)– Experience (academic/professional)
• Explain what portfolio provides
• Forecast portfolio organization
Example Purpose Statement (Steptoe, U of Richmond)
[Intro] Welcome to my Portfolio Website. In May of 2003, I will graduate from the University of Richmond with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing.
[Portfolio provides…] This site provides you with information about various skills that I have developed during my four years at UR, both inside and outside of the classroom.
[Forecast] My accomplishments and skills are organized according to five competency/skill areas. Please use the side menu to navigate through the five competency areas. I hope that you find this site both interesting and informative.
Organizing Your Portfolio
• Project
• Skills (e.g., teamwork, communication, leadership)
• Coursework
Artifacts You May Include
• Documents (e.g., reports, memos)
• Manuscripts, publications
• Grants• Web sites
• Presentations• Software• Manuals• Others????
Provide a Description of Each “Artifact” Included in Portfolio
• Provide a context: What project? What problem, concept, issue was addressed? What class?
• Describe the artifact
• Discuss outcomes
Supporting Materials from Others
• Ask a professor or manager to write letter
• Invite a colleague to write a letter
• Ask former clients to write testimonials
Assess Your Portfolio
• Does my portfolio represent the depth and breadth of my experiences?
• Does my portfolio show that my experiences reflect current knowledge of my field?
• Have I provided descriptions for each “artifact” that I’ve included?
• Have I acknowledged my fellow collaborators?
• Have I asked others to review my portfolio?
Sample Portfolio
http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~varun/
Design Principles
• Use legible fonts– Light background with dark text
• Clear navigation• Links should be obvious
– different colored, underlined text
• Resize images so that they load within 3 seconds
Design Principles Cont’d
• Put up downloadable materials in a variety of formats– Word document, PDF file, image file
• Content should be short, scanable, and to the point
• Check compatibility with different browsers• Include your contact information and last
updated date
References and Resources
http://www.uwstout.edu/art/artedportfolios/whatis/index.html E-portfolio site for art educators at U of Wisconsin-Stout
http://www.llc.rpi.edu/~martiv/cep/index.html Writing Center short course, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
http://www.llc.rpi.edu/~martiv/cep/student_epfs.html Student examples used in this presentation
http://www.educ.indiana.edu/ist/programs/contents.html School of Education, Indiana University
References and Resources
Kimball, Miles A. 2003. The Web Portfolio Guide: Creating Electronic Portfolios for the Web. New York: Longman.
Kimeldorf, Martin. 1997. Portfolio Power: The New Way to Showcase All Your Job Skills and Experiences. Princeton, NJ: Peterson’s.
Lead through Excellence in Engineering Communication
Find More Communication Resources
• at the Cain Project Web site at http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~cainproj
• or in modules on the Connexions Web at http://cnx.org
• or in the OWLSPACE Communication Archive